ANIMALS IN SICKNESS 223 
is to place it in such wholesome conditions that nature brings 
her own remedy without artificial assistance. 
I had occasion not long ago to apply this doctrine in the 
case of a rhinoceros which had been wounded when it was 
being captured, and had been improperly treated while in 
transport. When it arrived it had in its back holes of the 
size of a man’s hand, and a tendon of the hindleg was half 
cut through. The only medicinal treatment that I ad- 
ministered was to supply it with a hygienic bed—if that 
can be called medicinal. The bed in question is nothing 
more than dry earth covered over with hay or straw. I fed 
it on concentrated food such as eggs, milk, and water-gruel ; 
and by the end of five weeks the rhinoceros had completely re- 
covered its normal condition and looked strong and healthy. 
One of the most remarkable cures that have been effected 
among the animals in my possession was in the case of an 
Indian buffalo-cow which had fallen ill before being shipped 
from India. The disease took the form of an inflammation 
on the snout and was accompanied by a heightened tempera- 
ture and considerable pain, especially when the creature was 
feeding. An examination disclosed the fact that the abscess 
on the snout was crammed with parasitic worms. An at- 
tempt at a scientific cure, although it caused much suffer- 
ing to the animal, was entirely unsuccessful, and after a time 
we had practically given up hope of being able to save its 
life. At this juncture an old Hindoo came upon the scene, 
and when we informed him of the various unsuccessful 
attempts to cure the buffalo he smiled knowingly and under- 
took to do the job himself in a single day. We attached 
little credence to the Hindoo’s professions, but, since every- 
thing had failed and all hope been abandoned, there seemed 
no objection to letting him try what he could do. On re- 
ceiving our permission, he went away and returned a few 
hours later with a bundle of blossoming branches of some 
shrub with which I was then, and am still, quite unacquainted. 
All I can say is that the blossom gave forth a somewhat 
